GOSPEL :: FAMILY :: MISSION
Things that need power don’t operate at their fullest potential when they aren’t connected to a power source. What happens when something is disconnected from a power source? In a house, the lights go off and you live in darkness. On a construction site, production ceases. A car’s engine stops running when the battery is dead. The same is true with people.
One author says that, “the love that motivates us is the power that drives us.” When the love within us is corrupted then the power that drives us will produce corruption. When what we love is rotten then the fruit of our lives will be rotten.
How do you stop worrying? That seems like the million dollar question. We know what we worry about. We usually worry about earthly things. We worry about food and drink and clothing. We worry about physical needs.
It’s crazy to think that the eyes of our hearts could be blinded by darkness instead of enlightened by the hope of our calling in Christ Jesus. The central issue here is an issue of hope.
Sometimes I pray for the wrong reasons or I pray to false images of who God is. It seems difficult to keep up a steady rhythm of prayer sometimes. I start praying and I get distracted. I make a decision to spend some time in prayer and I fall asleep. I spend time in prayer and sometimes it feels dull and lifeless. Sometimes I don’t know what to pray about and sometimes I don’t know what to say. What I need is to be set free by what God’s Word says.
If we are honest, it is all too easy to find ourselves praying for the wrong reasons or praying to false images of who God is. It seems difficult to keep up a steady rhythm of prayer sometimes. Maybe we start praying and get distracted or even fall asleep. Or it feels dull and lifeless. Or you just don’t know what to say.
When we depend on ourselves and when we seek to find security and sustainability in ourselves, we do it because we trust in ourselves. And as we trust in ourselves we simultaneously mistrust the all-powerful, eternal nature of our Father in Heaven.
Devote, prayer, watchful and thankful. Lots of meaning wrapped up in these four words. Devotion means steadfast commitment. Prayer means to communicate with God. Watchful means to be on the lookout. Thankful means to be in a posture of gratitude towards someone who has blessed you. Is there really anything else to say as we go to meet with the Lord in prayer?
Confidence is an elusive topic. It’s hard to describe confidence to someone without putting skin or clothing on the subject. And if we aren’t careful, we can easily dress up this subject with very unhelpful illustrations that communicate a sense of just pulling up our bootstraps through self-reliance or self-help. Let me just head that off at the pass right now by reminding you that the Bible doesn’t encourage self-confidence or self-help anywhere.
You and I have unhindered access to the powerful presence of God. What kind of boldness would that give you if you were confident in this truth?
© 2025 joemarino.org
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑